WWII's Camp Laguna turned boys into men

Camp Laguna, an important part of World War II's Desert Training Center, was once the temporary home of tens of thousands of American soldiers.

Living in primitive conditions in the midst of the harsh Arizona desert in what is now U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Camp Laguna's soldiers resided in canvas tents and trudged many miles in forced marches under the hot sun. The purpose of the challenging training was to prepare soldiers for a rigorous life of combat in the deserts of North Africa or one of the war's other combat fronts.

Typically arriving in Yuma aboard special passenger trains operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad, the mostly drafted soldiers were loaded aboard trucks for the bumpy 25-mile drive to the desert camp. Many were experiencing the rigors of the desert for the first time.

Howard Hardrath was one of these men. A platoon sergeant in Company C, 313th Infantry Regiment, of the 79th Infantry Division, Hardrath was a young man in the prime of his life. His unit was made up of a combination of draftees and soldiers who had volunteered for duty and had recently participated in maneuvers in Tennessee. He arrived July 14, 1943, and departed on Dec. 5 of the same year.

“The officers showed unusual regard for us when we arrived,” said Hardrath as he toured the World War II training area. “They barely let us out of our tents the first 10 days we were here. Their intention was to let us acclimatize to what was a new experience for nearly everyone.”

After 10 days, the men were taken on an evening march through the desert. According to Hardrath, the uniform of the day was helmet liners, boots and socks, and “G.I. shorts.”

“Even in the evening it was hot,” he pointed out.

Later, the soldiers began to wear full field gear and to go on forced marches any time of the day or night. One time Hardrath's division was absent from Camp Laguna for a full month while taking part in maneuvers which took them dozens of miles north.

Hardrath particularly remembers the “water training” the men of his unit underwent. “For a long time, they tried to limit us to one quart of water per day. This was the equivalent of a single canteen-full and it wasn't enough. I can remember people keeling over and fainting due to the heat and lack of fluids.”

Hardrath doesn't remember much about the town of Yuma during those years, saying that bus service between Camp Laguna and the town was nonexistent and he was able to hitch a ride on an Army truck only twice.

“Yuma was a small town then, but I remember the Native Americans selling jewelry and crafts at the train station and the watering holes that filled the town. Those joints were popular among the soldiers and we really guzzled the beer.”

As for life at Camp Laguna, Hardrath says it was primitive and tough. “We lived in canvas tents the entire time. The only wooden structures I remember were the cook shacks, which were made of mesh screen and wood. We ate from our mess kits and used the forks, knives and spoons the Army issued. We didn't eat off decent plates once.”

Aside from the obstacles and inconveniences, Hardrath recalls many good things resulting from the experience. “This desert training didn't necessarily teach us all about combat, but it sure made us tough. Soldiers who couldn't take the punishment dropped out of the unit and were sent someplace else. Those who made it were transformed from boys into men — men ready for active combat.

“To my knowledge, nearly everyone who went into the field with my company, aside from the support people, was hit by enemy fire. This included both officers and men. Even I was hit in the leg after fighting the Germans in France for 31 days. I spent a year in the hospital after that.”

Hardrath's experience at Camp Laguna was harsh and demanding, and it remained etched in his memory. A resident of Atlanta, Ga., he well remembered his “sojourn in the desert” as a time when maturity blossomed and difficult obstacles were overcome.

Today, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground is the Army's desert environmental test center, working with a wide variety of weapon systems — from M1 Abrams tanks and M777 howitzers to Apache helicopters and unmanned aircraft. The 3,000 military and civilian Yuma Proving Ground work force — and the entire Department of Defense – truly salutes those who came before.

Chuck Wullenjohn is the public affairs offficer for Yuma Proving Ground.